Three years later
“As I was saying, you can’t argue with me using some theory. Be an actual nerd and prove it in real time.”
Aiden stares at our classmates with his signature poker face. I swear he’s become even more tenacious about hiding his emotions.
I’m lucky I met him at eighteen because twenty-one-year-old Aiden would’ve driven me bonkers.
Scratch that. He does, but I know him well enough to counter him at every turn now. I don’t always win, but the challenge is worth it.
Our colleagues stare at him with questions and no answers.
Only Aiden would call university students nerds to their faces. When I told him not to do that, he said he’s a firm believer in calling things by their names.
“Anyone?” he challenges. “Yeah, I didn’t think so.”
He’s lucky Cole isn’t here. It would’ve morphed into a full-blown war if he was, and we’d be all sitting here watching them argue all night.
No one ever wins, but Aiden keeps insisting he takes it easy on him.
“Actually, there’s one.” A sinister voice comes from my right. His American accent differentiates him immediately.
I groan even before the twat joins the circle. I thought we were lucky tonight since Cole had things to take care of.
Turns out, no.
“What are you even doing here?” I ask. “You don’t belong to this club.”
“I do now.” Deep green eyes fill with mischief as he waves his access card. “I had to be where all the cool kids go. Isn’t that right, Pres?”
Our debate club president, Oliver, nods at the American’s charming grin.
I roll my eyes. The only reason he joined is to challenge Aiden and Cole. I swear they attract lunatics like this American as if they were magnets.
Even Aiden didn’t join the club out of goodwill. I joined first and he just slid in because ‘he was interested’.
Interested, my arse. More like he wants to be here to shoo the flies away as he calls them.
Aiden’s possessiveness knows no limits. He doesn’t like how close I am to the other club members, so he barged in to make their lives hell. He can be so frustratingly argumentative when he chooses to.
“Good of you to join us, Ash.” Aiden grins as sadism sparks in his eyes. “Now look away from my wife before I create a diplomatic problem between England and the US.”
The all-American golden boy bursts into laughter, raising his hands. “All right, all right. You have it bad, dude.”
Aiden wraps his hand around mine, interlacing our fingers as if to prove a point.
Our rings are above each other. Something Aiden likes to do a lot.
We’ve been married for two years, and he’s been publicising it everywhere. Whenever someone stares in my direction, he nearly blinds them with the huge diamond ring he got for me.
It’s not something I would wear, but I accepted it nonetheless. This ring was Alicia’s, and I understand its emotional value for Aiden.
I soon found out he’s also using it to mark his territory at every opportunity.
The press is the only medium he didn’t use for publicity, but he didn’t need to.
Our wedding, although exclusive to family and friends, made the headlines.
The King and Steel marriage was written about over and over in business columns and newspapers.
It’s the start of a new era for both companies. While Dad and Jonathan aren’t the best of friends, they learned to work together.
I still can’t trust Agnus completely. He really is a psychopath and I’m always wary of him. However, Dad trusts him even though he might know exactly his nature.
Agnus plays a huge part in Dad and Jonathan’s partnership. He’s become a pillar of strength for our families and I can’t hate him for that.
Even Aunt and Uncle’s company, Quinn Engineering has been thriving since the partnership between King Enterprises and Steel Corporation.
Aunt was a little sad when I chose Oxford over Cambridge, but she quickly got over it.
“Do you have anything to add to the discussion, Ash?” Aiden asks his American friend.
All the team members focus on the latter.
Some girls blush. Others stare up at him with dreamy eyes.
If only they knew what lurks under the beautiful façade.
He’s just like Aiden. If not a little more unhinged. I still have no idea why he left his prestigious college back in the States to join us here.
“Yes, actually.” He flops into a chair, his arms hanging off the edge. “See, Aiden. I don’t have to prove it to you because we’re not under legal obligation. I can choose to prove it, but it’s only voluntary.”
“When does voluntary end and the obligation start?” Aiden shoots back.
They go on and on. The audience are watching the two titans clash with gaped mouths. Even the president doesn’t dare to say anything.
Me on the other hand? I’m done watching two sociopaths trying to outsmart one another.
As Asher goes on and on about legal texts and whatnot, I squeeze Aiden’s hand and whisper, “I’m tired. Let’s go home.”
He doesn’t even stop to consider it.
Still clutching my hand, he stands, taking me up with him and cuts off Asher. “My wife needs to rest.”
“Loser,” Asher mutters.
Aiden smirks. “I’m taking a rain check.”
“I’ll be here,” Asher calls to our backs as we head to the door. “Now, where was I?”
He launches into a long, one-sided argument.
“Why are you even friends with him?” I ask as soon as we’re alone.
“Because he’s fun, sweetheart. We need fun people who aren’t politically correct.”
“You mean sociopaths.”
“Every society needs old-fashioned villains.” He grins down at me, then his brows crease. “Why are you tired?”
“I’m—”
Before I can say anything, he slams his palm on the middle of my chest.
“Aiden!” I watch our surroundings. I know he’s just checking my heartbeat — like he does every day. Actually, he sometimes sleeps with his head on my heart to make sure it’s working properly.
“I told you to check my wrist pulse when we’re in public,” I whisper. “People are watching.”
“Fuck people. I’ll check my wife’s pulse any way I like.” He removes his hand and places two fingers on my neck. “Hmm. Your pulse is fine.”
“It is,” I say as we step into the cold air.
“Then what is it? Do you feel chest tightness?”
“No.”
“Palpitations?”
I shake my head.
Aiden is strict as fuck when it comes to my health. He’s more religious about my appointments than I am. He’s continuously studying about heart conditions like doctors with degrees.
He’s even considering taking a second course in medicine.
No kidding, he really is.
He steps in front of me, buttons my coat to my chin, removes his scarf and ties it close around my neck.
It smells of him, clean and masculine. I take a deep inhale, breathing him into my lungs.
Aiden takes my cold hand in his and blows warm air into them before he places them in my pockets.
I watch him with a smile on my face. This side of Aiden always gets me in a knot. He’s so caring and attentive, I actually have nightmares about a life without him.
He’s become such a constant I can’t breathe without anymore.
Forget love and adoration, Aiden is fucking air to me. He’s everything I want in life and more. For that reason alone, I move onto my tiptoes and plant a kiss on his lips.
He grins with boyish charm.
Aiden likes it when I surprise him with kisses or when I demand pleasure. He says it turns him on more than anything else.
“Come on, it’s cold.” He pulls on my cheek. “I need to get my wife home.”
Right. Home.
Our place is about a fifteen minutes’ drive from campus.
We spend it talking about classes while Aiden has his hand up my thigh. I’m lucky to be wearing jeans, if I was in a skirt, he’d be bringing me to orgasm by now.
Aiden is still Aiden. Boundless and shameless.
He drives me crazy. I swear I fall for him a little more every day. I fall in love with how he prepares breakfast for me every morning. How he takes me on a run and watches my heart rate through it. How he carries me to bed from my desk every night when I fall asleep on it. How he fucks me as if he can’t get enough of me.
I love his attentiveness and his protectiveness. Hell, I even love his possessiveness sometimes.
I love all of him.
We arrive at our place.
It’s a two-storey house with a small garden I take care of. Aiden bought the land next to us for our one-year anniversary. He said it’s a gift so I can build my first house.
Our actual house.
I’ve been going crazy since then, coming up with a thousand and one ideas. I’m even contemplating combining the two lands and having a blast with it.
For now, we live in a cosy house with an antique feel to it.
As soon as we’re inside, I stop to remove my coat. Aiden yanks off his jacket and jogs to the kitchen — for my meds, no doubt.
I study our house with wooden flooring and dark decor.
A tinge of arousal hits me at the memory of Aiden taking me in every corner of this house. On the sofa, against the counter, and even on the floor near the entrance.
This place is filled with so many heartwarming memories.
After hanging the coat and scarf onto the hook on the wall, I tiptoe towards the kitchen. Aiden stands at the counter fussing with pills. He still reads the label every time. There’s no risk of error with him.
I wrap my arms around him from behind and rub my cheek against his back.
Aiden might not be a football player anymore — except for the occasional games now and then — but his physique is still hard and toned.
We go on runs together and he works out when he has insomnia, although it’s become rare since our marriage.
“What do you want most in the world, Aiden?”
“You.” He doesn’t even miss a beat.
I smile. “What else?”
“You healthy and happy and fucking mine.”
God. This man will be the death of me.
“What else?”
“That’s all.”
“That’s all?”
“Yes.” He spins around and hands me the pills with a glass of water.
I swallow the meds as he watches me intently. I watch him, too. His tousled, inky hair, the mole on the corner of his metal eyes, and the hint of his arrow tattoos as the sleeve of his shirt bunches up.
He clutches my elbow. “Let’s get you some rest.”
I squirm free. “I’m not tired.”
He raises an eyebrow and tilts his head. “If you’re not tired, I’ll fuck you in the shower like yesterday. I like it when you are horny, climbing up my body and clawing at my back.”
“There’s a reason for that.”
“Whatever it is, I like the reason. Let’s repeat it today.” He grins and goes back to fiddling with the pills.
I take a deep breath. Okay, here goes.
“Aiden?”
“Hmm, sweetheart?”
“I’m pregnant. Six weeks, to be exact.”
He freezes, the bottle of pills half-suspended in his hands.
Aiden wanted a kid three years ago, but he completely backed off when Dr Albert said it could be a danger to my life at that stage.
However, three months ago, Dr Albert told me it’s safe to have a child. Since then, I’ve been without birth control. I wanted to give him a surprise on our second anniversary two months ago. However, I didn’t fall pregnant.
I nearly cried every time my period came on time for the past three months.
Yesterday, my period was two weeks late. I took a test and boom, pregnant. I was so happy, I wanted to tell Aiden right away, but I kept it to myself until I had tests done with both Dr Albert and an OBGYN.
Aiden spins around. My mouth falls open. I never expected to see that expression on Aiden’s face.
Fear.
Complete terror.
He grabs my arm. “Let’s go to Dr Albert. He’ll tell us how to deal with this—”
“No.” I wiggle away from him. “I’m having this child.”
“And I’m not having a child that will risk your life.” Aiden’s voice is authoritative and final. “I’d rather be childless than without you.”
My eyes fill with tears at his statement because I know it’s true. Aiden would be happy with just me by his side. I feel it in my soul.
But I want to give him more. I want to give him everything. I want to be the mother of his children.
“I’m not in danger.” I cradle his cheek with my palm. “I talked to Dr Albert and the OBGYN and we had tests done. The baby and I are healthy.”
He narrows his eyes. “Are you just saying that so I’d change my mind?”
“I know you’d barge into Dr Albert’s house to make sure my words are correct, so no, I’m not bluffing. I have the test results and everything in my bag.”
He jogs to it and spends minutes reading the papers over and over again. I stand there, watching him, and waiting for his reaction.
He switched to stare at the ultrasound of a small life. A life he and I created.
“So?” I ask carefully. “What do you think?”
“You’re pregnant.” He stares between me and the ultrasound as if to make sure.
“Yes, Aiden.” I cradle my stomach. “I’m carrying your baby.”
“You’re carrying my baby,” he repeats, slowly approaching me.
When he’s within touching distance, I take his hand and place it on my stomach.
It’s still flat, but I can feel the life humming inside me. I can already feel the connection.
He stares at his hand and slowly strokes my stomach.
“We created a life, Aiden,” I murmur. “Are you happy?”
He rips his gaze from my stomach to meet my eyes. “Are you?”
“I’m over the moon. This is the best gift you could’ve given me.” I press my lips to his. “I love you.”
He wraps his arms around me and I squeal as he lifts me off the ground and hugs me. My arms wind around him as he kisses my mouth, my cheeks, my nose, and my forehead.
“You’re the best gift I’ve ever been given, my queen.”
“And you’re mine, my king.”
